WesWorld

I know I cant start a new Nation using the startup rules, but I was looking at them erlier and thought HUH what would be a semi decent ship to build.

I came up with this, its based loosley on VDT. Opinions are as always with me more than welcome

Startup BC, Iwishistan Battle Cruiser laid down 1911

Displacement:
16,000 t light; 16,961 t standard; 18,943 t normal; 20,528 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
562.99 ft / 562.99 ft x 87.27 ft x 30.18 ft (normal load)
171.60 m / 171.60 m x 26.60 m x 9.20 m

Armament:
8 - 11.02" / 280 mm guns (4x2 guns), 669.80lbs / 303.81kg shells, 1911 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline, evenly spread, 1 raised mount
Aft Main mounts separated by engine room
10 - 5.91" / 150 mm guns in single mounts, 102.98lbs / 46.71kg shells, 1911 Model
Quick firing guns in casemate mounts
on side, all amidships
16 - 3.46" / 88.0 mm guns in single mounts, 20.79lbs / 9.43kg shells, 1911 Model
Quick firing guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread
Weight of broadside 6,721 lbs / 3,049 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 150

Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 9.84" / 250 mm 365.94 ft / 111.54 m 16.21 ft / 4.94 m
Ends: 3.94" / 100 mm 197.01 ft / 60.05 m 11.22 ft / 3.42 m
Upper: 4.92" / 125 mm 365.94 ft / 111.54 m 8.01 ft / 2.44 m
Main Belt covers 100 % of normal length

- Torpedo Bulkhead:
0.98" / 25 mm 365.94 ft / 111.54 m 25.07 ft / 7.64 m

- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 8.98" / 228 mm 1.18" / 30 mm 9.09" / 231 mm
2nd: 5.91" / 150 mm - -
3rd: 1.97" / 50 mm - -

- Armour deck: 1.97" / 50 mm, Conning tower: 8.90" / 226 mm

Machinery:
Coal fired boilers, steam turbines,
Direct drive, 3 shafts, 49,193 shp / 36,698 Kw = 25.00 kts
Range 8,000nm at 12.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 3,567 tons (100% coal)

Complement:
806 - 1,049

Cost:
£1.573 million / $6.293 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 840 tons, 4.4 %
Armour: 6,304 tons, 33.3 %
- Belts: 3,462 tons, 18.3 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 334 tons, 1.8 %
- Armament: 1,234 tons, 6.5 %
- Armour Deck: 1,139 tons, 6.0 %
- Conning Tower: 136 tons, 0.7 %
Machinery: 2,196 tons, 11.6 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 6,659 tons, 35.2 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 2,943 tons, 15.5 %
Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
24,848 lbs / 11,271 Kg = 37.1 x 11.0 " / 280 mm shells or 4.3 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.15
Metacentric height 5.3 ft / 1.6 m
Roll period: 16.0 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.38
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.26

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has raised forecastle
Block coefficient: 0.447
Length to Beam Ratio: 6.45 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 23.73 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 49 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 56
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 0.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 19.88 ft / 6.06 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 19.88 ft / 6.06 m (16.60 ft / 5.06 m aft of break)
- Mid (50 %): 16.60 ft / 5.06 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 16.60 ft / 5.06 m
- Stern: 16.60 ft / 5.06 m
- Average freeboard: 17.26 ft / 5.26 m
Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 94.2 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 122.7 %
Waterplane Area: 31,266 Square feet or 2,905 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 109 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 147 lbs/sq ft or 717 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.94
- Longitudinal: 1.70
- Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily

The two issues I'd have are: 1), BC seems rather low for this type of vessel (I'd expect 0.50 or higher, more likely 0.55 or so); and 2) the number of 88mms in open mountings seems excessive, I'd try to put some or most into some sort of casemate mount for protection (and since firing at aircraft in 1911 is not a priority).

I'd also try to get the number of 150mms up to 12, just so I'd have 6 per side to dissuade destroyers from wanting to come play. Also, for the period, you should have some submerged torpedo tubes.

Quoted

Originally posted by Hrolf Hakonson
The two issues I'd have are: 1), BC seems rather low for this type of vessel (I'd expect 0.50 or higher, more likely 0.55 or so)

Original BC was even a tad low, I only took 335 tons off her to get to 16K even

Quoted

2) the number of 88mms in open mountings seems excessive, I'd try to put some or most into some sort of casemate mount for protection (and since firing at aircraft in 1911 is not a priority).

the 88mm count and mounting style came directly from VDT, as to why it had so frekin many and in deck mounts I have no idea.

Quoted

I'd also try to get the number of 150mms up to 12, just so I'd have 6 per side to dissuade destroyers from wanting to come play. Also, for the period, you should have some submerged torpedo tubes.

adding another pair of 150s shouldnt be to hard, and as for Tubes meh they dont actualy hurt anything strength wise so thats an easy addition (I intentionaly excluded them)

If you look at VdT here: http://www.german-navy.de/hochseeflotte/…tann/index.html , you'll see that most of the 88mms are in the casemates at the bow, stern, and upper forward superstructure, only the 4 on the aft superstructure are in deck mounts.

Depending on which source you use, the draft might be a bit less than you have, that might get you some tonnage you can use to up the BC.

A bit more speed would be no bad thing, but it depends on whether you're trying to build a BC or a small BB.

Quoted

Originally posted by Hrolf Hakonson
A bit more speed would be no bad thing, but it depends on whether you're trying to build a BC or a small BB.

If I was starting a new country, I would proly view her as a "fast" light BB. The intended purpose of the ship was to be low cost, and marginaly usefull (hell in 1911 it would actualy be a decent ship)

the plan worked out like this, based of the posted startup rules

Year 1 10K tons per quarter 40K tons total that translates to enough tonage to build 2.5 16K ships so my simple plan was

2X16000 ton BC/BBs
8X1000 ton escort types

Year 2 12K tons per quarter 48K tons total
3X16000 ton BC/BB

Year 3 15K tons per quarter 60K tons total
3X16000 ton BB/BC
12X1000 ton Escort types

now that would give me 8 reasonable ships working up/in comission, and enough tonage to actualy build some more capable "Next Generation" ships. This is all based off my understanding of the startup rules which admitedly could be compleatly wrong.